The Hope For Peace
Children's sermon
Illustration
Preaching
Sermon
Worship
Hope is all around us this time of year. We all hope that something better will be around the next corner. The only thing we need to hope for is the presence of the Christ Child, and we need to recognize that the Lord, our God, is in our midst. We need to wait for the promise of peace, and to celebrate all that we have. Stephen McCutchan has written the main article this week with Thom Shuman writing another view. There are worship resources for Advent 4, Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day included as well as illustrations and a children's sermon. Merry Christmas to all!
The Hope For Peace
by Stephen McCutchan
THE WORLD
"And now faith, hope, and love abide...": and the best qualities of our humanity are nurtured by all three. Show me a person who has lost the capacity to have hope and I will show you a person that has been robbed of one of the better qualities of his or her humanity. Sometimes circumstances conspire to guide us into despair, but even in the darkest of circumstances, many people feel an urgency to discover reasons for hope. During the Christmas season we frequently hear the passage from Isaiah 9:2, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light..." and we are uplifted because we need to trust that such a light will shine on the dark corners of our world.
The counter pressure to our desire to have hope is the seemingly incessant violence that plagues our world. During this Advent and Christmas season, we are assaulted on every side by stories about the violence in Iraq. Each time we hear of breaking news, we hold our breath for fear that it will be the report of some new devious attack by terrorists. The political battles around the war in Iraq and the response to terrorism have left many confused as to what we should do. The release of the report by the Iraq Study Group led by Lee Hamilton and James Baker raised hopes on many sides that they might provide a bipartisan plan by which we could take positive steps to move beyond the seemingly deepening quagmire of violence into which we find ourselves. President Bush, who has often been accused of not listening to diverse voices, seemed to take the report seriously and deliberately invited a series of diverse voices to come to the White House. At first he seemed to promise that he would report to the nation before Christmas. Was there hope that we might celebrate Christmas with more confidence that peace was near?
Now we are told that the president will not speak to the nation until after the New Year. Critics of the ISG report seem to be finding traction. The president speaks of not wanting to be pushed into a decision and the need for more time to hear about possible alternate strategies. Have we been naive to have felt hope? The Bible speaks of hope being part of our faith journey in the face of discouraging odds. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).
In Micah 5:2-5a, the prophet said, "And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace." On Christmas Eve we will undoubtedly read Luke 2:14, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors." After almost 2,000 years of Christians hearing these words of hope, there has to be in the corner of many worshipers' minds the question as to whether this was all just a hopeless fantasy or whether what we celebrate this day and evening offers a word of realistic hope to a war-weary world.
THE WORD
Sometimes it appears that Christians seek to provide God an escape from having to fulfill God's promises for world peace by spiritualizing such promises and speaking of an inner peace for individuals rather than a peace that affects how we live with our neighbors. Having an inner peace is important for individuals and certainly an aspect of what God offers us, but God offers more. When God commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves and Jesus makes clear that neighbors include anyone who has need, we know that the peace of God involves relationships with other people. When Jesus goes further and commands us to love our enemy, we know that we cannot restrict the limits of our love to those who are nice to us.
It is important during the season of Advent that we not treat too casually the hope for peace in our world. The world yearns for a true peace but world leaders often seeks it through war and expects that only the most powerful weapons can maintain peace. Faithful believers know that war, however we may justify it, falls short of the God who in Christ was reconciling the world to God's self (2 Corinthians 5:19).
This passage from the prophet Micah spoke of Israel's longing for a leader who would guide them toward peace: They were yearning for, hoping for, something more than just an inner peace. They were seeking a peace among their neighbors. According to the gospel of Matthew, this became a central prophecy of the people's hope for a messiah. "And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel" (Matthew 2:6). Israel knew what war was all about and often found their very survival threatened by the hostility of their neighbors. Their hope was not in their ability to become a superpower and overwhelm their neighbors with superior weapons. Their hope was that God would send someone to guide them in the way of peace.
The gospel declared that this hope was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus. In contrast to worldly wisdom, the passage makes clear that the true source of hope for peace is from God. Instead of the messiah coming from a powerful nation or even an important family with many resources, this messiah was to come from one of the little clans of Judah. Using feminine image for hope that is found frequently among the prophets as well as the gospels and the writings of Paul, Micah speaks of this hope being born out of labor pains (Micah 5:3). Male preachers need to consult with women who have given birth to fully appreciate the extent to which this image speaks of hope coming out of a painful experience. Peace, joy, and love do not emerge without struggle.
But the surprise, captured in Micah, is that this hoped for leader (or is it a corporate image of a people), is not a warrior but a person or a people of peace. Some Jews today speak of the hoped for messiah in corporate terms. This dual image may help the church speak of the messiah both in the person of Jesus and the corporate image of the Body of Christ. Whether we experience the messiah as person or people, the messiah was to be more than a good man and a good teacher. He was to be, above all, a man of peace, and his coming was to mark the advent of peace in the world. "And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth: and he shall be the one of peace" (Micah 5:4-5a).
Our faith invites us to look for God's work of peace in areas that are often overlooked by the world and seen as insignificant. As we celebrate the birth of Christ, it behooves the church and its members to reflect on how we act for peace, not only personally but also in the larger world. It is consistent with the biblical theme that God's peace begins with the birth of a fragile child rather than the development of a new weapon of war. In the same manner, perhaps one congregation seeking to act for peace in the name of that Christ might be the beginning of world peace.
But how does such peace break into a world so addicted to violence? There is a clue in Luke 1:39-55. "In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country." Try to picture this simple act by a relatively unknown and unimportant girl. Considering what we now believe to be a momentous event, it is a very small beginning. All of the truly great turning points in history begin with small events that are barely noticed. Mary was not a famous or powerful person. We do not even know her family or much about her. Yet she felt a quickening within her and she responded by taking the first step of a journey that would alter the world.
She went to a small village so unimportant that we are not even given its name. There one small beginning made connection with another small beginning as the unborn child in Elizabeth's womb responded to the embryo in Mary's womb. A synergy began before the actual birth events even took place. Like the germ of an idea that plants itself in the small corner of a mind, a world transforming moment began outside the notice of the powerful and the important. One woman responded in faith to that which had not yet taken place, and it elicited faith in another woman and the world began to change. To believe that our small acts of obedience can significantly affect the direction of history requires real faith in God.
"When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb." The yet-to-be-born John responded to the yet-to-be-born Jesus. John was the one that prepared the way and suggested how we might be prepared to recognize God among us. Before either of these women gave birth, there were signs of what was to come. Even if in the haste of this season we have failed to take the time to prepare to receive Christ in our lives, there are still signs indicating the nearness of Christ to us. Like an unborn fetus, Christ may not be fully formed in our lives, and, yet, there is still a quickening within us that hints at what God could make possible in our lives. It is not an act of faith to leave the making of peace to others; we are invited to feel the kick within us and to shift our focus to recognize the Christ among us.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
It is easy for us to assume that the members of our congregation are tired of hearing about the war. You may even hear some of them say that Christmas should focus on joy and love and it spoils it when we introduce the subject of the war. "We read enough about it in the papers," they say, "and we come to church to hear something uplifting." The second part of their statement is very true. They do come to church hoping to hear something uplifting. Many of them are frightened about the state of the world and they are rapidly losing faith in the ability of either the politicians or the scientists to bring an effective remedy to the wounded-ness of our humanity. However, as Micah makes clear, birth rarely occurs without the struggle of labor pains. Even if it is at an unconscious level, they are hoping to hear that God has a word to declare that will split the darkness and provide some new light. But to see the light, one needs to be willing to acknowledge the darkness.
One might begin the sermon by speaking of the need for hope and the necessity of that hope addressing the wounded-ness of our society. Many would like to avoid the subjects of reality into which we must discover our hope. The Bible does not let preachers off so easily. In the words of Jeremiah 6:14, "They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace."
Your next move might be to reflect on the passage from Micah and how Matthew saw this promise of God fulfilled in the birth of Christ. This would offer the opportunity to draw a brief contrast between the way the world looks for hope to arise from the decisions of those who hold powerful positions and the way the gospel sees God working among those who are often overlooked by the powerful to effect the real change in our world. Some of the information in The Word portion can help you develop this.
Your third move could be built on the exposition of Mary's visit to Elizabeth. It was an act of faith based on the trust that God could use such simple acts to effect great things. As you develop your final Advent sermon, you are still looking at the preparation that is necessary to fully receive Christ and the hope that he brings into the world. It might be important to recognize that God chose the Body of Christ as the people to declare that hope to the world. Because of the tension among faiths during this season, one could also call to mind the several examples of Jews and Muslims who are willing to work on Christmas so that Christians can be free to celebrate the birth of Christ. God can work through the deeds of others to remind us of our calling to be ambassadors for peace (2 Corinthians 5:20).
Your final move might be to emphasize how it is consistent with the scripture for God to use small acts of faith to transform the large movements of society. One has to first believe that God is in charge of the outcome of history and that history is moving towards that fulfillment. In essence, that is what it means to believe in the second coming of Christ. Christmas remembers the first coming of Christ so that we might prepare with expectancy for the second coming of Christ. Our preparation so that we might receive Christ is found in our faithful acts of peacemaking in the meantime. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9).
ANOTHER VIEW
By Thom Shuman
One of the things we humans do well is to come together in times of difficulty and tragedy. Those folks who have been searching for the three lost climbers on Mount Hood the last week or so are perfect examples. In addition, there are those friends, neighbors, and strangers throughout the world who have been praying for the climbers, as well as for their families, seeking to bring comfort and hope to them.
But there is a part of me that wonders: what would a community's response be if three minority families came forward, asking for "search and rescue" operations be undertaken for their sons/brothers/ husbands/fathers who were trapped on the side of Mount Poverty and only had a very short window of opportunity in which help could reach them?
How would a community respond? How would the churches? How would I respond?
Where I live, the funding from the state for special projects has been announced: the symphony will get $3 million, the museum center $2 million, and a tennis center will get $1.3 million. And, a developer will get $1 million to build a parking garage! Also being announced was a $1/2 million dollar cut for Red Cross to expand its services, and a $1/2 million cut on the request from the local food bank to expand its storage and freezer capacity, despite large increases in the numbers of people they serve.
Locally, the city council is trying to balance its budget. A worthy goal, of adding police on the streets because of a rising homicide rate and other violent crimes, will be met by cutting services to the homeless, to the poor, and to those who are neediest. Several health care clinics will be closed, as well as a pharmacy, and those who need such services will have to travel further to get them, though they are the last able to afford such travel.
Yet, when a developer comes before this same council with a plan to build condominiums on the river, with prices ranging from $400,000 to $2 million, these fiscal warriors give a tax incentive grant.
Something seems wrong.
One of the familiar readings of this Advent and Christmas season is from chapter 5 of Micah, where the prophet says that the One who is to rule Israel, the Messiah, will come from Bethlehem of Ephratha, bringing peace and security. And what does the prophet say about this mighty family, this strong group, this rich and powerful entity that will produce this person?
Micah says, "[you] are of the little clans."
In other words, from the group which is marginalized, will come that family which will find shelter in a stable; from the people who have been excluded will come the One who would include everyone -- the little, the lost, the prostitute, the tax collector, the leper, and the murderer. From those who know what it is like to hunger for food, for health care, for simple decency, will come the One who hungers and thirsts for God's righteousness to burst forth to the world. From those who have experienced oppression and injustice, will come the One who will set every captive free, and who will call his followers to work for justice, peace, and reconciliation in every human condition. From those who get to eat from the garbage dumps of the world will come the One who becomes the Bread of Life, so no one ever hungers again.
It is for the little clans, the little people, the insignificant and overlooked people, the broken and the young and the old people, the outsider, the alien, the immigrant that the One of peace, of hope, of security, and of life comes.
Do we want to see that One coming to us?
ILLUSTRATIONS
Mary, in her song of praise to God for selecting her to become the mother of Jesus, for selecting her to become the earthly mother of the Lord of All Creation, says that the Lord has lifted up the lowly, and that he has filled the hungry with good things.
In the African country of Ethiopia two years ago, the niece of a woman named Miriam died of hunger when a terrible drought hit their area and food supplies dwindled. Shortly after that, Miriam was able to obtain a small loan from church people in the US to buy a herd of six goats.
Now she and her family are eating much better, and she has repaid the loan so that other families in need can also be helped.
Through our gifts, the Lord has lifted up the lowly and filled the hungry with good things.
-- ELCA Good Gifts, 2005-2007, p. C
* * *
Kokila, an eleven-year-old girl who survived the fearful tsunami that hit her home in South India a few years ago, wrote a poem to the storm about the damage it caused:
You made thousands of people cry,
taking away their houses,
household articles,
kith and kin...
Yet you brought so many people
to take part in my life.
So many people
whom I had never seen before
helped us rebuild our lives.
Through us, his people, the Lord has lifted up the lowly and filled the hungry with good things.
-- ELCA Good Gifts, p. 19
* * *
Agathe and her husband and three young children live in a rural area in the mountains of Haiti. They were living in poverty until they received the gift of a pig from church people in the US. They also were given training in how to keep the pig healthy.
In time their pig had piglets, and they were given additional training in how to sell their animals at a fair price.
Now they can afford to send their children to secondary school, helping them build a stronger future.
Through us, his people, the Lord has lifted up the lowly, and filled the hungry with good things.
-- ELCA Good Gifts, p. B
* * *
A Small Cathedral
A small cathedral outside Bethlehem marks the supposed birthplace of Jesus. Behind a high altar in the church is a cave, a little cavern lit by silver lamps.
You can enter the main edifice and admire the ancient church. You can also enter the quiet cave where a star embedded in the floor recognizes the birth of the King. There is one stipulation, however. You have to stoop. The door is so low you can't go in standing up.
The same is true of the Christ. You can see the world standing tall, but to witness the Savior, you have to get on your knees.
So...
While the theologians were sleeping
And the elite were dreaming
And the successful were snoring
The meek were kneeling.
They were kneeling before the One only the meek will see. They were kneeling in front of Jesus.
-- Max Lucado from The Applause of Heaven
* * *
Christ in our Neighbor?
There are some of us... who think to ourselves, "If I had only been there! How quick I would have been to help the Baby. I would have washed His linen. How happy I would have been to go with the shepherds to see the Lord lying in the manger!" Yes, we would. We say that because we know how great Christ is, but if we had been there at that time, we would have done no better than the people of Bethlehem... Why don't we do it now? We have Christ in our neighbor.
-- Martin Luther
* * *
No Normal Birth
There once was a fourth grader sitting at his desk, trying to compose a short report on his family history. It had to be interesting... unique. He didn't want to do a boring report like the others. So, leaving his paper behind, he decided to do some investigation. He found his mother in the kitchen, busy with dinner. Without warning, the boy asked, "Mom, how was I born?" Caught somewhat off-guard by the question and unable to answer it properly, she pacified the lad and said, "The stork brought you, dear." The boy nodded and left the room. In the living room, he found his grandmother reading. "Grandma, how was my mother born?" Being a product of the Victorian age, this dear old lady was not about to bite. She smiled and said, "The stork brought her."
"And you, grandma, how were you born?"
"The same," she replied with a smile.
He thanked her and returned to his room. He now had what he was looking for -- that unique, strong introduction to set off his paper from the rest of the children. So he wrote, "According to my research, for at least three generations there has not been a normal birth in our family." Luke has that same journalistic endeavor as he begins his Gospel on the birth of Jesus. This is no normal birth.
* * *
Mary's song is a favorite among those who love Evening Prayer. Her music is a soothing articulation of hope for those who have very little. Like her little homeless child, they don't have much by way of this world's possessions, but she sings a lovely song of hope for them. Many Christians feed the poor, they clothe the naked and they house the homeless. And many still seek ways to close the gap between those who have so much and those who have so little. And when they do, they too sing an ageless song of the mother of God's own Son. "My soul proclaims the Greatness of the Lord!"
* * *
On that first Christmas night the angels sang of Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward All! On this Christmas night we await Peace again. Too many wars, too many dying innocents! The message of the Angels that the shepherds heard is a message we still hear. It has been an elusive message to hold onto in a world torn with conflict. But the child in a stable holds the pathway to peace in the prayer of his heart. He sleeps soundly in that Peace that passes all understanding. Would that we too could awaken to that Peace that sleeps with him!
* * *
Theresa of Avila wrote of "The Interior Castle". She saw the human soul as an endless journey searching many "rooms" to self discovery. For her Peace, Love and Reconciliation were not just those things we could hope for among people of different races, nations and walks of life. For her these were matters of discovery within the soul of each one of us. There is a universe within as well as one without and both God seeks to reconcile through the gift of Jesus. The Child in the manger can lead the way to Peace within as well as Peace among those at war. Mind you, we have to listen to hear his voice!
WORSHIP RESOURCES
ADVENT 4 LITURGY
Call To Worship
One: We come to glorify God,
to rejoice in the One who saves us.
All: God comes:
for the lost, the last,
the little, the least of this world.
One: Our hearts leap for joy!
For God is coming to us in a child.
All: God comes:
for those who hunger for hope;
for those who thirst for grace.
One: Holy is the One who comes in God's name;
the One who fulfills every promise of God.
All: God comes:
to stand with those who follow in faith;
to bring peace to a scattered world.
Prayer Of The Day
Holy God,
scattering the proud, you look with favor on those the world ignores.
For you, we wait for the One who will feed us; for you, we wait for the One who stands with us in our loneliness and pain.
For you, we wait.
Jesus Christ,
born in a little backwater town: in you, God fulfills the hunger of our hearts; in you, God lifts us from our hopelessness; in you all the promises come true.
For you, we wait.
Holy Spirit,
Hallower of God's people: from you comes faith, so we might believe; from you comes belief, so we might be blessed; from you come all blessings, so we might share them with others.
For you, we wait.
For you, we wait,
God in Community, Holy in One, even as we pray as Jesus has taught us,
Our Father ...
Call To Reconciliation
Every notion we have about power, success, wealth, and achievement, God takes and tosses out the window. More importantly, God comes to us, to upset our notion that we have to save ourselves. In Jesus, God comes to us, removing our sin, our failures, our expectations, so we might have new life. Please join me as we pray, saying,
Unison Prayer Of Confession
We confess we are not the people you hope us to be, Advent God. The very ones you favor, we too often ignore or ridicule. The ones you knock off their pedestals, we admire and emulate. We are so focused on having more and more, we risk being sent away empty.
Forgive us, Mighty God, and look with grace upon us. We would live secure in your love; we would be the ones of peace for our world, we would seek to do your will, as did Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, in whose name we pray.
(Silence is observed.)
Assurance Of Pardon
One: Even now -- yes, even in this very moment,
God comes to us, bringing hope, bring
forgiveness, bringing grace as freely
offered gifts to us.
All: May we open our hearts to the God who
is with us, and receive the gifts which have
been offered to us. Thanks be to God. Amen.
CHRISTMAS EVE LITURGY
Greeting
Leader: The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
People: on those living in the shadows of death
a light has dawned.
Leader: Jesus Christ is our Life and Light.
In Christ's name, welcome!
In Christ's grace, let us worship God!
Call To Worship
Leader: Let us go, just as we are, to see what has happened.
let us go with the shepherds:
People: let us go and find the One
of whom the angels sang.
Leader: Let us go with those who are wise:
People: let us go and find the One
who brings God's truth to us.
Leader: Let us go with the poor in spirit, and in flesh;
let us go with those who are humbled by life:
People: Let us find the Glory of God
born in a stable, and placed in a feeding trough.
Leader: Let us go with our friends and family,
let us go with our neighbors and with strangers,
let us go with all the children of God:
People: let us go to find the One who comes
to lead us home to God's kingdom.
Leader: O come, let us go to the Babe of Bethlehem;
O come, let us adore him!
People: Christ our Lord!
Call To Reconciliation
We begin with such great hopes, such great dreams. We are going to be better, to treat others more fairly, to love more deeply. But we come to the manger once again, knowing our failings, and aware of our brokenness. Let us confess to the One who comes, that our lives might be made new.
Unison Prayer Of Confession
God who comes to us:
forgive us...
when our shadowed lives dim your Light;
when the tinsel of Christmas means more
to us than your truth;
when our hearts of stone resist the pain
and brokenness around us;
when we care more about what is under
the tree, than the damage we do
to your creation and to your children.
Have mercy on us, Healing God,
so we might
tear down the walls we have built
to keep your love away;
so we could
seek your justice for our sisters and brothers;
so our hearts
would become cradles for your Son,
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
(Silence is observed.)
Assurance Of Pardon (based on Isaiah 62:10-12)
Leader: Go, go through the city, preparing for the people;
repair, repair all the roads, filling in the holes,
raising a banner for all to see.
God has spoken to all people,
saying to sons and daughters:
"See, your Savior comes;
to make good on my promises,
to bring redemption to all people."
People: And we will be called God's Beloved,
the Redeemed of the Lord;
God will seek us out to live
in the New Jerusalem,
where no one is left behind. Amen.
Great Prayer Of Thanksgiving
Leader: May God be with you.
People: May God be also with you.
Leader: People of God, open your hearts,
People: We open our hearts to God.
Leader: Let us give thanks to the Living God.
People: It is right to give thanks to the One
who offers abundant life.
This is the night your heart bursts open with Joy, this is the evening Grace pours out of heaven, this is the moment when you come to make all things new, ever-creating God.
You shaped light out of the shadows of chaos, and molded your children from the earth, looking in the mirror as you formed us, breathing your Spirit into our empty lungs. Made for life with you in the Garden you designed for us, we ran away into the wilds of the world, believing we were wiser than you, that we could make our own way. Yet your love never failed us, your compassion was never taken from us, you would not abandon us in our foolishness. You brought us out of slavery into that land of promise and hope.
You sent your prophets to speak to us of your disappointment in us, and to remind us of your dreams for us.
Your love for us was so passionate, that you sent your only Son to become one of us that we might be one with you again.
So on this night when heaven reaches down to caress creation with healing, we join the angel choirs who sang your glory, and with your people in every time and place, caroling the good news which is ours:
Sanctus
Holiness is who you are, God of Christmas, and blessings come in Jesus Christ, your Child of Grace. Finding no warm welcome at his birth, he knew the cold shoulder of friends at his death; born in the rude confines of a barn, he knew the suffering of your children; sent to be your Word made flesh, he calls us to follow him into your kingdom; proclaimed by the prophet as our Prince of Peace, he died in the quagmire of human violence. By his death and resurrection, you have given new life to all creation. So, as we gather on this holiest of nights, we proclaim that mystery we call faith:
Memorial Acclamation
Pour out your Spirit upon us, Wonderful Counselor, and on the gifts you have given us.
We lift the broken bread, praying we would be made whole, at peace with one another, and reconciled to you. As we drink from the vineyard of grace, we believe that our salvation has come, and we are one with Christ, our flesh filled with his spirit of sacrifice, our spirits refreshed by his compassionate heart. As your joy flows into us, may we become a river carrying your justice to the poor; as your hope sings in our hearts, may we carry your righteousness to all who suffer. And as we taste the promise of the feast you prepare for us in your kingdom, may we live for you and serve your children, as we have been served by the Child of Christmas, Jesus Christ, our blessed Savior. Amen.
CHRISTMAS DAY LITURGY
Call To Worship
Leader: Wonder of wonders,
God has come to us!
People: Not as a judge, but a Savior,
not in power, but as a servant.
Leader: Wonder of wonders,
God comes to us!
People: Not in silence, but in the Word made flesh;
not in the shadows, but bringing Light.
Leader: Wonder of wonders!
People: God is with us!
Prayer Of The Day
Angels sang their anthems at the midnight hour to awaken a sleeping creation; shepherds came to worship you, and went away rejoicing; wise one gave their hearts to you, so they could dwell in yours. O Immanuel, we adore you!
You came to us as a baby, to hold us in your grace; you came to us in a stable, so we would have no trouble finding you; you came to us in poverty, to enrich our lives. O Beautiful Messenger of Peace, we adore you!
You play with us in the streets of the kingdom; you build your home deep within our souls; you walk with us in the winter of life. O Wisdom from on high, we adore you!
God in Community, Holy in One, all the faithful lift their songs of joy to you, even as we pray as Jesus has taught us, saying,
Our Father ...
Call To Reconciliation
God became one of us, so that we could see the face of love, hear the voice of peace, be touched by the hand of grace, know the heart of mercy. God comes to us, offering us forgiveness and peace. Please join with me as we pray together, saying,
Unison Prayer Of Confession
You came in weakness, Mighty God: forgive our grasping for power. You came in humility, Prince of Peace: forgive us wanting more than others. You came in poverty, Everlasting One: forgive us when we do not see your family sleeping in our streets.
You came in gentleness, Wonderful Counselor: forgive us for the anger we speak and the pain we cause.
Child of Bethlehem, be born in us today: forgive us, heal us, make us new; then we will join the angels in singing your praises this Christmas Day and all the days to come.
(Silence is observed.)
Assurance Of Pardon
Leader: Break forth into singing, children of God:
for the Babe comes to comfort us,
like a mother rocking her son to sleep,
like a father wiping away the tears
of his daughter.
People: (sung) Joy to the Word, the Lord is come,
let earth receive her king.
let every heart prepare him room,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.
Great Prayer Of Thanksgiving
Leader: May the Child of Bethlehem be born in you.
People: And in your heart as well.
Leader: Children of God, lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them to the One
who came to us that first Christmas morning.
Leader: People of God, give thanks to the One
who is always with us.
People: O come, O come Immanuel,
to feed us at your Table.
When you were weary of chaos as your companion, Everlasting God, you whispered to the Word who sang Creation's song: mountains sprang to attention, rivers and oceans splashed your feet, and the dust from the Carpenter's table was gathered up and shaped in your image. Spirit breathed life into us that we might dance with you forever. But when we looked beyond your glory, and saw the decorative temptations the world dangled before our eyes, we rushed to embrace sin and death. Yet you looked past our rebellion, seeing the people we could become, and so sent Isaiah and Hannah, Simeon and Anna as your faithful witnesses. When we continued to turn up the world's volume to drown out your pleas, you sent the Word of hope in the silence of a stable.
Therefore, we join with the angels of Bethlehem's skies, and all those who sing of your steadfast love, in every time and place:
Sanctus
Holy are you, Mighty God, and blessed is the One who comes in your name, our Lord and Savior, your Gift to all the world. You would not keep the Word to yourself, but sent him to tell us of your hopes for us.
You did not cling to the Prince of Peace, but poured him out to end our enmity and violence with one another. You could not hold your heart in your hands, but allowed him to be broken on the tree of Calvary that we might be made whole forever.
So, as we celebrate his birth, his life, his death, and his resurrection, we remember the faith that he models for us, and gives to us as our inheritance:
Memorial Acclamation
As we gather at your Table, send your Spirit upon the bread and the cup, and upon us, your children. As you sent Jesus to be born of Mary, may we bear the burdens of others; as you became One with us in the Child, may we live at peace with all people; as you have brought us out of the shadows of our sin, may we carry the Light of the world to all who live in the darkness of oppression and injustice.
Then, when we gather at your Table prepared for all people in your kingdom, we will sing that new song first caroled at creation and echoed through Bethlehem's hills: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill to all." Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
The Father's will
Object: none
Good morning! Does anybody know how many days are left before Christmas? (let them answer) Yes, there is only one day left. Tomorrow is Christmas. Now, who can tell me what we are celebrating tomorrow? What is Christmas? (let them answer) Yes, of course. It is the birthday of Jesus that we celebrate tomorrow. Now, let me ask you a much harder question. Why did Jesus come into the world? For what purpose was he born? (let them answer)
Maybe I can show you why Jesus came into the world. Why do you do the things your parents ask you to do? Do you do those things because you love them and you know that they love you and want only the best for you? (let them answer) Yes, we do what they ask us to do because we love them. We want to please them. Jesus came into the world because that's what his Father, God, wanted him to do. It was God's will that Jesus come into the world, live here for 33 years or so and then die on the cross to pay for our sins.
Our parents will never ask us to do anything that hard for them, but God asked Jesus to do that and he did it. So when we celebrate the birthday of Jesus tomorrow, let's not forget why he was born. He came to do the will of the Father, God. And the will of the Father was that he would die for all of us.
Let's thank God for sending Jesus into the world, because if he had not done so, we would all be lost forever.
Dear Father in heaven: We thank you for sending Jesus into the world, and we thank Jesus for doing your will so that all of us could go to heaven and be with you forever. Amen.
What did they expect?
Object: a picture of a baby in luxurious or at least pleasant surroundings
Good evening! Tonight is Christmas Eve. I want you to think back to the first Christmas Eve. An angel came to the shepherds and told them that the Savior of the world had been born in Bethlehem. The shepherds went into Bethlehem to see this wonderful thing. What do you think they expected to see? (let them answer) They probably expected to see a baby in a situation like this. (show the picture) After all, this was the Son of God, the Messiah, and the one who would be the Savior of the world. If you were one of the shepherds, wouldn't you expect him to be in a nice place? (let them answer)
But that wasn't what they found, was it? Where did they find the baby Jesus? (let them answer) Yes, they found him in a stable in the humblest of situations. Nothing fancy about that place at all. Why do you think God didn't have him born in a palace or some other really fancy place? (let them answer) God wanted all of us to know how much he was willing to humble himself for us. He not only was willing to become a man, but also to be born in a stable with animals all around him instead of being born in a palace or a nice house. Do you think God must have loved us a lot to do that for us? (let them answer) Yes, he surely does love us, and we need to remember that this is what Christmas is all about. Jesus was born in Bethlehem to save us all from our sins. He may not have been what the shepherds expected, but he was everything we needed.
Dear Father in heaven: We thank you for giving all of us the gift of your Son, Jesus, who was born to save us all from our sins. Help us to remember what Christmas is all about when we open our presents and celebrate Christmas tonight and tomorrow. Amen.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Immediate Word, December 24/25, 2006, issue.
Copyright 2006 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
The Hope For Peace
by Stephen McCutchan
THE WORLD
"And now faith, hope, and love abide...": and the best qualities of our humanity are nurtured by all three. Show me a person who has lost the capacity to have hope and I will show you a person that has been robbed of one of the better qualities of his or her humanity. Sometimes circumstances conspire to guide us into despair, but even in the darkest of circumstances, many people feel an urgency to discover reasons for hope. During the Christmas season we frequently hear the passage from Isaiah 9:2, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light..." and we are uplifted because we need to trust that such a light will shine on the dark corners of our world.
The counter pressure to our desire to have hope is the seemingly incessant violence that plagues our world. During this Advent and Christmas season, we are assaulted on every side by stories about the violence in Iraq. Each time we hear of breaking news, we hold our breath for fear that it will be the report of some new devious attack by terrorists. The political battles around the war in Iraq and the response to terrorism have left many confused as to what we should do. The release of the report by the Iraq Study Group led by Lee Hamilton and James Baker raised hopes on many sides that they might provide a bipartisan plan by which we could take positive steps to move beyond the seemingly deepening quagmire of violence into which we find ourselves. President Bush, who has often been accused of not listening to diverse voices, seemed to take the report seriously and deliberately invited a series of diverse voices to come to the White House. At first he seemed to promise that he would report to the nation before Christmas. Was there hope that we might celebrate Christmas with more confidence that peace was near?
Now we are told that the president will not speak to the nation until after the New Year. Critics of the ISG report seem to be finding traction. The president speaks of not wanting to be pushed into a decision and the need for more time to hear about possible alternate strategies. Have we been naive to have felt hope? The Bible speaks of hope being part of our faith journey in the face of discouraging odds. "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1).
In Micah 5:2-5a, the prophet said, "And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth; and he shall be the one of peace." On Christmas Eve we will undoubtedly read Luke 2:14, "Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom he favors." After almost 2,000 years of Christians hearing these words of hope, there has to be in the corner of many worshipers' minds the question as to whether this was all just a hopeless fantasy or whether what we celebrate this day and evening offers a word of realistic hope to a war-weary world.
THE WORD
Sometimes it appears that Christians seek to provide God an escape from having to fulfill God's promises for world peace by spiritualizing such promises and speaking of an inner peace for individuals rather than a peace that affects how we live with our neighbors. Having an inner peace is important for individuals and certainly an aspect of what God offers us, but God offers more. When God commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves and Jesus makes clear that neighbors include anyone who has need, we know that the peace of God involves relationships with other people. When Jesus goes further and commands us to love our enemy, we know that we cannot restrict the limits of our love to those who are nice to us.
It is important during the season of Advent that we not treat too casually the hope for peace in our world. The world yearns for a true peace but world leaders often seeks it through war and expects that only the most powerful weapons can maintain peace. Faithful believers know that war, however we may justify it, falls short of the God who in Christ was reconciling the world to God's self (2 Corinthians 5:19).
This passage from the prophet Micah spoke of Israel's longing for a leader who would guide them toward peace: They were yearning for, hoping for, something more than just an inner peace. They were seeking a peace among their neighbors. According to the gospel of Matthew, this became a central prophecy of the people's hope for a messiah. "And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel" (Matthew 2:6). Israel knew what war was all about and often found their very survival threatened by the hostility of their neighbors. Their hope was not in their ability to become a superpower and overwhelm their neighbors with superior weapons. Their hope was that God would send someone to guide them in the way of peace.
The gospel declared that this hope was fulfilled in the birth of Jesus. In contrast to worldly wisdom, the passage makes clear that the true source of hope for peace is from God. Instead of the messiah coming from a powerful nation or even an important family with many resources, this messiah was to come from one of the little clans of Judah. Using feminine image for hope that is found frequently among the prophets as well as the gospels and the writings of Paul, Micah speaks of this hope being born out of labor pains (Micah 5:3). Male preachers need to consult with women who have given birth to fully appreciate the extent to which this image speaks of hope coming out of a painful experience. Peace, joy, and love do not emerge without struggle.
But the surprise, captured in Micah, is that this hoped for leader (or is it a corporate image of a people), is not a warrior but a person or a people of peace. Some Jews today speak of the hoped for messiah in corporate terms. This dual image may help the church speak of the messiah both in the person of Jesus and the corporate image of the Body of Christ. Whether we experience the messiah as person or people, the messiah was to be more than a good man and a good teacher. He was to be, above all, a man of peace, and his coming was to mark the advent of peace in the world. "And he shall stand and feed his flock in the strength of the lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they shall live secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth: and he shall be the one of peace" (Micah 5:4-5a).
Our faith invites us to look for God's work of peace in areas that are often overlooked by the world and seen as insignificant. As we celebrate the birth of Christ, it behooves the church and its members to reflect on how we act for peace, not only personally but also in the larger world. It is consistent with the biblical theme that God's peace begins with the birth of a fragile child rather than the development of a new weapon of war. In the same manner, perhaps one congregation seeking to act for peace in the name of that Christ might be the beginning of world peace.
But how does such peace break into a world so addicted to violence? There is a clue in Luke 1:39-55. "In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country." Try to picture this simple act by a relatively unknown and unimportant girl. Considering what we now believe to be a momentous event, it is a very small beginning. All of the truly great turning points in history begin with small events that are barely noticed. Mary was not a famous or powerful person. We do not even know her family or much about her. Yet she felt a quickening within her and she responded by taking the first step of a journey that would alter the world.
She went to a small village so unimportant that we are not even given its name. There one small beginning made connection with another small beginning as the unborn child in Elizabeth's womb responded to the embryo in Mary's womb. A synergy began before the actual birth events even took place. Like the germ of an idea that plants itself in the small corner of a mind, a world transforming moment began outside the notice of the powerful and the important. One woman responded in faith to that which had not yet taken place, and it elicited faith in another woman and the world began to change. To believe that our small acts of obedience can significantly affect the direction of history requires real faith in God.
"When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb." The yet-to-be-born John responded to the yet-to-be-born Jesus. John was the one that prepared the way and suggested how we might be prepared to recognize God among us. Before either of these women gave birth, there were signs of what was to come. Even if in the haste of this season we have failed to take the time to prepare to receive Christ in our lives, there are still signs indicating the nearness of Christ to us. Like an unborn fetus, Christ may not be fully formed in our lives, and, yet, there is still a quickening within us that hints at what God could make possible in our lives. It is not an act of faith to leave the making of peace to others; we are invited to feel the kick within us and to shift our focus to recognize the Christ among us.
CRAFTING THE SERMON
It is easy for us to assume that the members of our congregation are tired of hearing about the war. You may even hear some of them say that Christmas should focus on joy and love and it spoils it when we introduce the subject of the war. "We read enough about it in the papers," they say, "and we come to church to hear something uplifting." The second part of their statement is very true. They do come to church hoping to hear something uplifting. Many of them are frightened about the state of the world and they are rapidly losing faith in the ability of either the politicians or the scientists to bring an effective remedy to the wounded-ness of our humanity. However, as Micah makes clear, birth rarely occurs without the struggle of labor pains. Even if it is at an unconscious level, they are hoping to hear that God has a word to declare that will split the darkness and provide some new light. But to see the light, one needs to be willing to acknowledge the darkness.
One might begin the sermon by speaking of the need for hope and the necessity of that hope addressing the wounded-ness of our society. Many would like to avoid the subjects of reality into which we must discover our hope. The Bible does not let preachers off so easily. In the words of Jeremiah 6:14, "They have treated the wound of my people carelessly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace."
Your next move might be to reflect on the passage from Micah and how Matthew saw this promise of God fulfilled in the birth of Christ. This would offer the opportunity to draw a brief contrast between the way the world looks for hope to arise from the decisions of those who hold powerful positions and the way the gospel sees God working among those who are often overlooked by the powerful to effect the real change in our world. Some of the information in The Word portion can help you develop this.
Your third move could be built on the exposition of Mary's visit to Elizabeth. It was an act of faith based on the trust that God could use such simple acts to effect great things. As you develop your final Advent sermon, you are still looking at the preparation that is necessary to fully receive Christ and the hope that he brings into the world. It might be important to recognize that God chose the Body of Christ as the people to declare that hope to the world. Because of the tension among faiths during this season, one could also call to mind the several examples of Jews and Muslims who are willing to work on Christmas so that Christians can be free to celebrate the birth of Christ. God can work through the deeds of others to remind us of our calling to be ambassadors for peace (2 Corinthians 5:20).
Your final move might be to emphasize how it is consistent with the scripture for God to use small acts of faith to transform the large movements of society. One has to first believe that God is in charge of the outcome of history and that history is moving towards that fulfillment. In essence, that is what it means to believe in the second coming of Christ. Christmas remembers the first coming of Christ so that we might prepare with expectancy for the second coming of Christ. Our preparation so that we might receive Christ is found in our faithful acts of peacemaking in the meantime. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9).
ANOTHER VIEW
By Thom Shuman
One of the things we humans do well is to come together in times of difficulty and tragedy. Those folks who have been searching for the three lost climbers on Mount Hood the last week or so are perfect examples. In addition, there are those friends, neighbors, and strangers throughout the world who have been praying for the climbers, as well as for their families, seeking to bring comfort and hope to them.
But there is a part of me that wonders: what would a community's response be if three minority families came forward, asking for "search and rescue" operations be undertaken for their sons/brothers/ husbands/fathers who were trapped on the side of Mount Poverty and only had a very short window of opportunity in which help could reach them?
How would a community respond? How would the churches? How would I respond?
Where I live, the funding from the state for special projects has been announced: the symphony will get $3 million, the museum center $2 million, and a tennis center will get $1.3 million. And, a developer will get $1 million to build a parking garage! Also being announced was a $1/2 million dollar cut for Red Cross to expand its services, and a $1/2 million cut on the request from the local food bank to expand its storage and freezer capacity, despite large increases in the numbers of people they serve.
Locally, the city council is trying to balance its budget. A worthy goal, of adding police on the streets because of a rising homicide rate and other violent crimes, will be met by cutting services to the homeless, to the poor, and to those who are neediest. Several health care clinics will be closed, as well as a pharmacy, and those who need such services will have to travel further to get them, though they are the last able to afford such travel.
Yet, when a developer comes before this same council with a plan to build condominiums on the river, with prices ranging from $400,000 to $2 million, these fiscal warriors give a tax incentive grant.
Something seems wrong.
One of the familiar readings of this Advent and Christmas season is from chapter 5 of Micah, where the prophet says that the One who is to rule Israel, the Messiah, will come from Bethlehem of Ephratha, bringing peace and security. And what does the prophet say about this mighty family, this strong group, this rich and powerful entity that will produce this person?
Micah says, "[you] are of the little clans."
In other words, from the group which is marginalized, will come that family which will find shelter in a stable; from the people who have been excluded will come the One who would include everyone -- the little, the lost, the prostitute, the tax collector, the leper, and the murderer. From those who know what it is like to hunger for food, for health care, for simple decency, will come the One who hungers and thirsts for God's righteousness to burst forth to the world. From those who have experienced oppression and injustice, will come the One who will set every captive free, and who will call his followers to work for justice, peace, and reconciliation in every human condition. From those who get to eat from the garbage dumps of the world will come the One who becomes the Bread of Life, so no one ever hungers again.
It is for the little clans, the little people, the insignificant and overlooked people, the broken and the young and the old people, the outsider, the alien, the immigrant that the One of peace, of hope, of security, and of life comes.
Do we want to see that One coming to us?
ILLUSTRATIONS
Mary, in her song of praise to God for selecting her to become the mother of Jesus, for selecting her to become the earthly mother of the Lord of All Creation, says that the Lord has lifted up the lowly, and that he has filled the hungry with good things.
In the African country of Ethiopia two years ago, the niece of a woman named Miriam died of hunger when a terrible drought hit their area and food supplies dwindled. Shortly after that, Miriam was able to obtain a small loan from church people in the US to buy a herd of six goats.
Now she and her family are eating much better, and she has repaid the loan so that other families in need can also be helped.
Through our gifts, the Lord has lifted up the lowly and filled the hungry with good things.
-- ELCA Good Gifts, 2005-2007, p. C
* * *
Kokila, an eleven-year-old girl who survived the fearful tsunami that hit her home in South India a few years ago, wrote a poem to the storm about the damage it caused:
You made thousands of people cry,
taking away their houses,
household articles,
kith and kin...
Yet you brought so many people
to take part in my life.
So many people
whom I had never seen before
helped us rebuild our lives.
Through us, his people, the Lord has lifted up the lowly and filled the hungry with good things.
-- ELCA Good Gifts, p. 19
* * *
Agathe and her husband and three young children live in a rural area in the mountains of Haiti. They were living in poverty until they received the gift of a pig from church people in the US. They also were given training in how to keep the pig healthy.
In time their pig had piglets, and they were given additional training in how to sell their animals at a fair price.
Now they can afford to send their children to secondary school, helping them build a stronger future.
Through us, his people, the Lord has lifted up the lowly, and filled the hungry with good things.
-- ELCA Good Gifts, p. B
* * *
A Small Cathedral
A small cathedral outside Bethlehem marks the supposed birthplace of Jesus. Behind a high altar in the church is a cave, a little cavern lit by silver lamps.
You can enter the main edifice and admire the ancient church. You can also enter the quiet cave where a star embedded in the floor recognizes the birth of the King. There is one stipulation, however. You have to stoop. The door is so low you can't go in standing up.
The same is true of the Christ. You can see the world standing tall, but to witness the Savior, you have to get on your knees.
So...
While the theologians were sleeping
And the elite were dreaming
And the successful were snoring
The meek were kneeling.
They were kneeling before the One only the meek will see. They were kneeling in front of Jesus.
-- Max Lucado from The Applause of Heaven
* * *
Christ in our Neighbor?
There are some of us... who think to ourselves, "If I had only been there! How quick I would have been to help the Baby. I would have washed His linen. How happy I would have been to go with the shepherds to see the Lord lying in the manger!" Yes, we would. We say that because we know how great Christ is, but if we had been there at that time, we would have done no better than the people of Bethlehem... Why don't we do it now? We have Christ in our neighbor.
-- Martin Luther
* * *
No Normal Birth
There once was a fourth grader sitting at his desk, trying to compose a short report on his family history. It had to be interesting... unique. He didn't want to do a boring report like the others. So, leaving his paper behind, he decided to do some investigation. He found his mother in the kitchen, busy with dinner. Without warning, the boy asked, "Mom, how was I born?" Caught somewhat off-guard by the question and unable to answer it properly, she pacified the lad and said, "The stork brought you, dear." The boy nodded and left the room. In the living room, he found his grandmother reading. "Grandma, how was my mother born?" Being a product of the Victorian age, this dear old lady was not about to bite. She smiled and said, "The stork brought her."
"And you, grandma, how were you born?"
"The same," she replied with a smile.
He thanked her and returned to his room. He now had what he was looking for -- that unique, strong introduction to set off his paper from the rest of the children. So he wrote, "According to my research, for at least three generations there has not been a normal birth in our family." Luke has that same journalistic endeavor as he begins his Gospel on the birth of Jesus. This is no normal birth.
* * *
Mary's song is a favorite among those who love Evening Prayer. Her music is a soothing articulation of hope for those who have very little. Like her little homeless child, they don't have much by way of this world's possessions, but she sings a lovely song of hope for them. Many Christians feed the poor, they clothe the naked and they house the homeless. And many still seek ways to close the gap between those who have so much and those who have so little. And when they do, they too sing an ageless song of the mother of God's own Son. "My soul proclaims the Greatness of the Lord!"
* * *
On that first Christmas night the angels sang of Peace on Earth and Goodwill toward All! On this Christmas night we await Peace again. Too many wars, too many dying innocents! The message of the Angels that the shepherds heard is a message we still hear. It has been an elusive message to hold onto in a world torn with conflict. But the child in a stable holds the pathway to peace in the prayer of his heart. He sleeps soundly in that Peace that passes all understanding. Would that we too could awaken to that Peace that sleeps with him!
* * *
Theresa of Avila wrote of "The Interior Castle". She saw the human soul as an endless journey searching many "rooms" to self discovery. For her Peace, Love and Reconciliation were not just those things we could hope for among people of different races, nations and walks of life. For her these were matters of discovery within the soul of each one of us. There is a universe within as well as one without and both God seeks to reconcile through the gift of Jesus. The Child in the manger can lead the way to Peace within as well as Peace among those at war. Mind you, we have to listen to hear his voice!
WORSHIP RESOURCES
ADVENT 4 LITURGY
Call To Worship
One: We come to glorify God,
to rejoice in the One who saves us.
All: God comes:
for the lost, the last,
the little, the least of this world.
One: Our hearts leap for joy!
For God is coming to us in a child.
All: God comes:
for those who hunger for hope;
for those who thirst for grace.
One: Holy is the One who comes in God's name;
the One who fulfills every promise of God.
All: God comes:
to stand with those who follow in faith;
to bring peace to a scattered world.
Prayer Of The Day
Holy God,
scattering the proud, you look with favor on those the world ignores.
For you, we wait for the One who will feed us; for you, we wait for the One who stands with us in our loneliness and pain.
For you, we wait.
Jesus Christ,
born in a little backwater town: in you, God fulfills the hunger of our hearts; in you, God lifts us from our hopelessness; in you all the promises come true.
For you, we wait.
Holy Spirit,
Hallower of God's people: from you comes faith, so we might believe; from you comes belief, so we might be blessed; from you come all blessings, so we might share them with others.
For you, we wait.
For you, we wait,
God in Community, Holy in One, even as we pray as Jesus has taught us,
Our Father ...
Call To Reconciliation
Every notion we have about power, success, wealth, and achievement, God takes and tosses out the window. More importantly, God comes to us, to upset our notion that we have to save ourselves. In Jesus, God comes to us, removing our sin, our failures, our expectations, so we might have new life. Please join me as we pray, saying,
Unison Prayer Of Confession
We confess we are not the people you hope us to be, Advent God. The very ones you favor, we too often ignore or ridicule. The ones you knock off their pedestals, we admire and emulate. We are so focused on having more and more, we risk being sent away empty.
Forgive us, Mighty God, and look with grace upon us. We would live secure in your love; we would be the ones of peace for our world, we would seek to do your will, as did Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, in whose name we pray.
(Silence is observed.)
Assurance Of Pardon
One: Even now -- yes, even in this very moment,
God comes to us, bringing hope, bring
forgiveness, bringing grace as freely
offered gifts to us.
All: May we open our hearts to the God who
is with us, and receive the gifts which have
been offered to us. Thanks be to God. Amen.
CHRISTMAS EVE LITURGY
Greeting
Leader: The people walking in darkness
have seen a great light;
People: on those living in the shadows of death
a light has dawned.
Leader: Jesus Christ is our Life and Light.
In Christ's name, welcome!
In Christ's grace, let us worship God!
Call To Worship
Leader: Let us go, just as we are, to see what has happened.
let us go with the shepherds:
People: let us go and find the One
of whom the angels sang.
Leader: Let us go with those who are wise:
People: let us go and find the One
who brings God's truth to us.
Leader: Let us go with the poor in spirit, and in flesh;
let us go with those who are humbled by life:
People: Let us find the Glory of God
born in a stable, and placed in a feeding trough.
Leader: Let us go with our friends and family,
let us go with our neighbors and with strangers,
let us go with all the children of God:
People: let us go to find the One who comes
to lead us home to God's kingdom.
Leader: O come, let us go to the Babe of Bethlehem;
O come, let us adore him!
People: Christ our Lord!
Call To Reconciliation
We begin with such great hopes, such great dreams. We are going to be better, to treat others more fairly, to love more deeply. But we come to the manger once again, knowing our failings, and aware of our brokenness. Let us confess to the One who comes, that our lives might be made new.
Unison Prayer Of Confession
God who comes to us:
forgive us...
when our shadowed lives dim your Light;
when the tinsel of Christmas means more
to us than your truth;
when our hearts of stone resist the pain
and brokenness around us;
when we care more about what is under
the tree, than the damage we do
to your creation and to your children.
Have mercy on us, Healing God,
so we might
tear down the walls we have built
to keep your love away;
so we could
seek your justice for our sisters and brothers;
so our hearts
would become cradles for your Son,
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
(Silence is observed.)
Assurance Of Pardon (based on Isaiah 62:10-12)
Leader: Go, go through the city, preparing for the people;
repair, repair all the roads, filling in the holes,
raising a banner for all to see.
God has spoken to all people,
saying to sons and daughters:
"See, your Savior comes;
to make good on my promises,
to bring redemption to all people."
People: And we will be called God's Beloved,
the Redeemed of the Lord;
God will seek us out to live
in the New Jerusalem,
where no one is left behind. Amen.
Great Prayer Of Thanksgiving
Leader: May God be with you.
People: May God be also with you.
Leader: People of God, open your hearts,
People: We open our hearts to God.
Leader: Let us give thanks to the Living God.
People: It is right to give thanks to the One
who offers abundant life.
This is the night your heart bursts open with Joy, this is the evening Grace pours out of heaven, this is the moment when you come to make all things new, ever-creating God.
You shaped light out of the shadows of chaos, and molded your children from the earth, looking in the mirror as you formed us, breathing your Spirit into our empty lungs. Made for life with you in the Garden you designed for us, we ran away into the wilds of the world, believing we were wiser than you, that we could make our own way. Yet your love never failed us, your compassion was never taken from us, you would not abandon us in our foolishness. You brought us out of slavery into that land of promise and hope.
You sent your prophets to speak to us of your disappointment in us, and to remind us of your dreams for us.
Your love for us was so passionate, that you sent your only Son to become one of us that we might be one with you again.
So on this night when heaven reaches down to caress creation with healing, we join the angel choirs who sang your glory, and with your people in every time and place, caroling the good news which is ours:
Sanctus
Holiness is who you are, God of Christmas, and blessings come in Jesus Christ, your Child of Grace. Finding no warm welcome at his birth, he knew the cold shoulder of friends at his death; born in the rude confines of a barn, he knew the suffering of your children; sent to be your Word made flesh, he calls us to follow him into your kingdom; proclaimed by the prophet as our Prince of Peace, he died in the quagmire of human violence. By his death and resurrection, you have given new life to all creation. So, as we gather on this holiest of nights, we proclaim that mystery we call faith:
Memorial Acclamation
Pour out your Spirit upon us, Wonderful Counselor, and on the gifts you have given us.
We lift the broken bread, praying we would be made whole, at peace with one another, and reconciled to you. As we drink from the vineyard of grace, we believe that our salvation has come, and we are one with Christ, our flesh filled with his spirit of sacrifice, our spirits refreshed by his compassionate heart. As your joy flows into us, may we become a river carrying your justice to the poor; as your hope sings in our hearts, may we carry your righteousness to all who suffer. And as we taste the promise of the feast you prepare for us in your kingdom, may we live for you and serve your children, as we have been served by the Child of Christmas, Jesus Christ, our blessed Savior. Amen.
CHRISTMAS DAY LITURGY
Call To Worship
Leader: Wonder of wonders,
God has come to us!
People: Not as a judge, but a Savior,
not in power, but as a servant.
Leader: Wonder of wonders,
God comes to us!
People: Not in silence, but in the Word made flesh;
not in the shadows, but bringing Light.
Leader: Wonder of wonders!
People: God is with us!
Prayer Of The Day
Angels sang their anthems at the midnight hour to awaken a sleeping creation; shepherds came to worship you, and went away rejoicing; wise one gave their hearts to you, so they could dwell in yours. O Immanuel, we adore you!
You came to us as a baby, to hold us in your grace; you came to us in a stable, so we would have no trouble finding you; you came to us in poverty, to enrich our lives. O Beautiful Messenger of Peace, we adore you!
You play with us in the streets of the kingdom; you build your home deep within our souls; you walk with us in the winter of life. O Wisdom from on high, we adore you!
God in Community, Holy in One, all the faithful lift their songs of joy to you, even as we pray as Jesus has taught us, saying,
Our Father ...
Call To Reconciliation
God became one of us, so that we could see the face of love, hear the voice of peace, be touched by the hand of grace, know the heart of mercy. God comes to us, offering us forgiveness and peace. Please join with me as we pray together, saying,
Unison Prayer Of Confession
You came in weakness, Mighty God: forgive our grasping for power. You came in humility, Prince of Peace: forgive us wanting more than others. You came in poverty, Everlasting One: forgive us when we do not see your family sleeping in our streets.
You came in gentleness, Wonderful Counselor: forgive us for the anger we speak and the pain we cause.
Child of Bethlehem, be born in us today: forgive us, heal us, make us new; then we will join the angels in singing your praises this Christmas Day and all the days to come.
(Silence is observed.)
Assurance Of Pardon
Leader: Break forth into singing, children of God:
for the Babe comes to comfort us,
like a mother rocking her son to sleep,
like a father wiping away the tears
of his daughter.
People: (sung) Joy to the Word, the Lord is come,
let earth receive her king.
let every heart prepare him room,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven and nature sing,
and heaven, and heaven and nature sing.
Great Prayer Of Thanksgiving
Leader: May the Child of Bethlehem be born in you.
People: And in your heart as well.
Leader: Children of God, lift up your hearts.
People: We lift them to the One
who came to us that first Christmas morning.
Leader: People of God, give thanks to the One
who is always with us.
People: O come, O come Immanuel,
to feed us at your Table.
When you were weary of chaos as your companion, Everlasting God, you whispered to the Word who sang Creation's song: mountains sprang to attention, rivers and oceans splashed your feet, and the dust from the Carpenter's table was gathered up and shaped in your image. Spirit breathed life into us that we might dance with you forever. But when we looked beyond your glory, and saw the decorative temptations the world dangled before our eyes, we rushed to embrace sin and death. Yet you looked past our rebellion, seeing the people we could become, and so sent Isaiah and Hannah, Simeon and Anna as your faithful witnesses. When we continued to turn up the world's volume to drown out your pleas, you sent the Word of hope in the silence of a stable.
Therefore, we join with the angels of Bethlehem's skies, and all those who sing of your steadfast love, in every time and place:
Sanctus
Holy are you, Mighty God, and blessed is the One who comes in your name, our Lord and Savior, your Gift to all the world. You would not keep the Word to yourself, but sent him to tell us of your hopes for us.
You did not cling to the Prince of Peace, but poured him out to end our enmity and violence with one another. You could not hold your heart in your hands, but allowed him to be broken on the tree of Calvary that we might be made whole forever.
So, as we celebrate his birth, his life, his death, and his resurrection, we remember the faith that he models for us, and gives to us as our inheritance:
Memorial Acclamation
As we gather at your Table, send your Spirit upon the bread and the cup, and upon us, your children. As you sent Jesus to be born of Mary, may we bear the burdens of others; as you became One with us in the Child, may we live at peace with all people; as you have brought us out of the shadows of our sin, may we carry the Light of the world to all who live in the darkness of oppression and injustice.
Then, when we gather at your Table prepared for all people in your kingdom, we will sing that new song first caroled at creation and echoed through Bethlehem's hills: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill to all." Amen.
CHILDREN'S SERMON
The Father's will
Object: none
Good morning! Does anybody know how many days are left before Christmas? (let them answer) Yes, there is only one day left. Tomorrow is Christmas. Now, who can tell me what we are celebrating tomorrow? What is Christmas? (let them answer) Yes, of course. It is the birthday of Jesus that we celebrate tomorrow. Now, let me ask you a much harder question. Why did Jesus come into the world? For what purpose was he born? (let them answer)
Maybe I can show you why Jesus came into the world. Why do you do the things your parents ask you to do? Do you do those things because you love them and you know that they love you and want only the best for you? (let them answer) Yes, we do what they ask us to do because we love them. We want to please them. Jesus came into the world because that's what his Father, God, wanted him to do. It was God's will that Jesus come into the world, live here for 33 years or so and then die on the cross to pay for our sins.
Our parents will never ask us to do anything that hard for them, but God asked Jesus to do that and he did it. So when we celebrate the birthday of Jesus tomorrow, let's not forget why he was born. He came to do the will of the Father, God. And the will of the Father was that he would die for all of us.
Let's thank God for sending Jesus into the world, because if he had not done so, we would all be lost forever.
Dear Father in heaven: We thank you for sending Jesus into the world, and we thank Jesus for doing your will so that all of us could go to heaven and be with you forever. Amen.
What did they expect?
Object: a picture of a baby in luxurious or at least pleasant surroundings
Good evening! Tonight is Christmas Eve. I want you to think back to the first Christmas Eve. An angel came to the shepherds and told them that the Savior of the world had been born in Bethlehem. The shepherds went into Bethlehem to see this wonderful thing. What do you think they expected to see? (let them answer) They probably expected to see a baby in a situation like this. (show the picture) After all, this was the Son of God, the Messiah, and the one who would be the Savior of the world. If you were one of the shepherds, wouldn't you expect him to be in a nice place? (let them answer)
But that wasn't what they found, was it? Where did they find the baby Jesus? (let them answer) Yes, they found him in a stable in the humblest of situations. Nothing fancy about that place at all. Why do you think God didn't have him born in a palace or some other really fancy place? (let them answer) God wanted all of us to know how much he was willing to humble himself for us. He not only was willing to become a man, but also to be born in a stable with animals all around him instead of being born in a palace or a nice house. Do you think God must have loved us a lot to do that for us? (let them answer) Yes, he surely does love us, and we need to remember that this is what Christmas is all about. Jesus was born in Bethlehem to save us all from our sins. He may not have been what the shepherds expected, but he was everything we needed.
Dear Father in heaven: We thank you for giving all of us the gift of your Son, Jesus, who was born to save us all from our sins. Help us to remember what Christmas is all about when we open our presents and celebrate Christmas tonight and tomorrow. Amen.
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The Immediate Word, December 24/25, 2006, issue.
Copyright 2006 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to The Immediate Word service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons and in worship and classroom settings only. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
